After reading one of Sarah Palin's latest remarks, my mind has almost gone blank. Perhaps she is actually a Buddhist teacher in disguise and these confusing or nonsensical one-liners she puts out are really Zen kōans geared at bringing more people to enlightenment.

Here is the one that almost brought me to enlightenment (from Palin's Twitter feed): "Extreme Greenies:see now why we push'drill,baby,drill'of known reserves&promising finds in safe onshore places like ANWR? Now do you get it?"

[...] I get that. I participate in that same outrage. For all the frustration, I enjoy marveling at the koan-like nonsense of Sarah Palin and wondering how corporate greed can dedicate absolutely no thought to the plight of future [...]

Remarkable how many Buddhist can hate a person, everything about them, everything they say, and everything they stand for based on the person's background and political beliefs. Buddha in his wisdom wouldn't be surprised but I am, time after time. I think it's time to disassociate myself- before the killings start.

It is fascinating to me to think of all of these diverse opinions coming from people who consider themselves Buddhists. I guess it shouldn't surprise me since even from the Christian side, the most hateful vial statements I see in the press come from Christians. Your hateful acts and words are simply proof that you have much more work to do. Good luck, mk.

Extremism in defense of environment is no virtue; extremism is search of energy is no vice." Was that Darwin? Audubon? Goldwater? Gore? Anyway, Sarah is a Zen mistress, a stern, strict, dominant mistress.

Actually, Matt, Sarah Palin is a fantastic public speaker, who has a great rapport with her audience, and very much inspires people to get involved and get active in conservative causes. Buddhism is unfairly biased toward the Left, in America; because, in large part, American Buddhists are actively fleeing their Judeo-Christian roots, and the political conservativism of their parents & grandparents' generations.

Sarah Palin makes a valid, entirely logical point about safety. It is largely political forces that drive oil exploration into deeper waters; thus, it is a clear supposition to make that *were those political forces less active, we may be drilling in safer waters.* If one cannot see this point, that individual could hardly begin to claim any awareness - since, it is as plain as the nose on your face. Arrogance comes in many forms; thinking that you perceive reality better than someone else - and, then, knocking that someone else with condescending jokes about her being a Zen Master - is remarkably small-minded and degraded... so, this article has no place in Tricycle, if Tricycle wants to maintain any authenticity as a magazine for Buddhists.

Mindlessly make fun of another human being - whether popularly vilified (Sarah Palin) or not - and, you are not being true to your basic goodness. I'm sorry.

Wow, Buddhist. So this guy Zachary makes some comment about how Sarah Palin's non-sensical statements makes his brain tweak to the point of questioning whether or not she actually does make sense in some reverse psychology way until he comes to the conclusion that that's probably not the case. She makes my brain tweak out too to be honest, but now so does seeing some of you here attacking the guy for no real reason. He's allowed an opinion as much as your beloved drill queen. There is nothing Buddhist or zen about taking an opportunity for yourself to do worse than what you thought Zachary has done by being much more vicious. Calling the guy an idiot and a douche? I expect to see that on YouTube but not here.

Certainly, "Zachary," you have every right to be condescending about Sarah Palin. After all, Sarah Palin's only a woman who's run a private company, a state, a national political campaign,and a large family, whereas you, "Zachary," have...ummmm...done...what, exactly, "Zachary?"

Good grief, isn't the practice of awareness about going beyond our little comfort zones? The comment isn't about her politics but a sarcastic look at her sometimes inexplicable utterances. I'll be able to stand her a little better now that I approach her as a lesson in "Right Speech".

I think the joke is the logic of Sarah Palin is difficult to grasp. One would hope that adopting a critical practice of thinking would allow a person to make rational judgements about issues (politics) that affect a broader community of people. Sure, it's more productive and challenging enough to spend one's energy on contemplating positive outcomes to large problems, rather than wasting energy to dismantle faulty logic. But, the arena of politics and the battle of ideas is fundamentally a reflection of the critical decision making skills and mental practices of our leaders.

Brilliant! Now I get Sarah Palin! Zen Master Sarah makes us see how the Extreme Greenies pushed BP out into the Gulf. She shows us how dumping oil on ice and Polar bears is better than dumping it on shrimp and oysters. With what skillful means does she turn the worst oil disaster in memory into a push for drilling in her wilderness? And, sarcasm is zen, and only a supercilious idiot can see supercilious idiots. We see only Buddhas, including Zen Master Sarah Palin!

Your sarcasm isn't very Zen. You can't blame her for pushing oil exploration in her region, where it's both safer than the Gulf and of benefit to her area, which (like the Gulf) is friendly to drilling.

I don't think these pages are an appropriate place for ridicule no matter what your politics are. But just in case I'm wrong ,let me just say that you're a supercilious idiot.